Automatic train-pipe connector.



w I v. ROBINSON. AUTONIATIC TRAIN PIPE CONNECTOR. APPLICATION FILED MAR. 19,.1914. RENEWEU OCT/9.1916.

1-,21 2,559. .Patnted Jan. 16, 1917.

JosErHv. aoBINsoN, or CHEVY CHASE, MARYLAND.

AUTOMATIC TRAIN-PIPE oomvnc'ron.

Specification of Letters Patent Patented J an 16, 1917 Application filed March 19, 1914, SeriaI NoL 825,837. Renewed October 9, 1916. Serial No. 124,684.

' To all whom it may 00mm ing/Iis a specification.

Be it known that I, JosEPH V. RoBIiysoN, a citizen of the United States, and resident,

ofQOhe'vy Chase, county of Montgomery,

State of Maryland, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Train-Pipe Connectors, of which the followy invention relates to automatic trainpipe connectors for automatlcally connecting air and steam hose between railway cars and has for its object to provide an improngs are extended forwardly of the face of the connector head A and substantially at a right angle thereto for a short distance, to constitute a socket in which the sides of an opposing head will firmly seat or socket, locking the connector heads against relatlve angular movement. In constructing the prongs in this manner, a particular shape for them from the forward extremity of said socket outwardly experience has found to be highly desirable; the preferred form being a prong having a variable curve in the horizontal plane and having a convex guiding facewhich rises gradually toward the horizontal plane throughout substantially the full length of the prong.

With these objects in view, my invention consists in the combinations, arrangements and constructions hereinafter described, pointed out in the appended claims and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, inwhich; v

Figure 1. is a side elevation of my improved connector head and its support; Fig. 2 is a front face View of the connector head; Fig. 3 is a plan view thereof; and Fig. 4 is a view taken on the line 44 of Fig. 2.

Referring to the drawings: My improved connector head is shown at A mounted upon a support B which yieldably supports the head, allowing it to move to the various positions required in service. Any satisfactory form of such support may, of course, be used with the connector head and any suitableform of connection for the support to the car may be employed, such as a lug 5 I show the connectorv support is conhead A of general rectangular outline and upon its sides 7 I provide portions 8 which extend rearwardly from the coupling face 9 of the head and substantially at a right angle thereto, to

constitute cooperating portions for mating or socketing with the bearing surfaces 10 of the prongs 11 in coupling, whereby mating connector heads-are firmly held against 8 are approximately of the same dimensions as the bearing surfaces or socket walls 10 and .lie entirely in the vertical plane. The guiding prongs 11 are diagonally spaced upon said head and serve to aline opposing heads in coupling under all conditions of' service.

Each of the prongs extends forwardly and outwardly of the head and each relative angular movement. These portions is provided with the said bearing surface or socket wall 10 which projects in front of the connector head B and ata rightangle to the face thereof, to approximately the point 12 of the prongs. Such surfaces cover only a part of the face of the prongs and like the portions 8 lie'entirelyin the vertical plane; their purpose being to constitute as aforesaid, a socket in which the sides 7 of anopposing head firmly seat in coupling,-

effectively preventing relative rocking between the faces of coupled heads and consequently eliminating leaks.

From the coupling face 9 of the head B to approximately the point 12, the prongs are substantially flat, but from said point to substantially the point 13,, the prongs curve slowly in the horizontal plane and from the point 13 to' the point or extremity 14, they curve rapidly'also in the horizontal plane, while the curves 15 and 16 of the outer and inner guiding edges 17 and 18 of the prongs change as they approach the for- 1 ward extremity-14, from'a relatively abrupt curve to a grad'ual curve encompassing the whole face of the prong, as illustrated par-. ticularly in Fig. 2; thus giving to the major portion of the prong .a convex formation. Said guiding edges 17 and 18 curve in the true vertical plane where they leave the face of the head A which constitutes the only portion of said prongs that curves in such plane at the face of the head. At 19 the prongs are provided with a lateral shoulder lying entirely in the horizontal plane and extending forwardly of the head A and at a right angle to the face thereof for mating with correspondingly shaped shoulders 2O of the head to prevent relative rocking of coupled heads in the vertical plane, Whichshoul- -ders extend rearwardly of the head at a right angle to the face thereof, and lie also in thehorizontal plane and :join with the portions 8 of said head AI From the point .12 outward, the prongs ll are slightly spiral shape or twistedto carry the inner guiding edge 18 thereof laterally away from the vertical plane. in whioh lies importantin insuring proper alinement of tical and' lateral disalinement.

of the opposing lower head. Then as the cars move together incoupling and the engaging prongs begin to aline the heads, the

edge 18 of the prong that has been carried" over the top of the lower connector head invariably impinges or sticks upon such head, preventing coupling. By forming the prongs and the connector head A. in the manner described, this objection is effectivelyoverco-me, as the edge 18 cannot in usual serviceget far enough over the top of" the connector head to impinge on any other surface than that of the rounded corner. With this arrangement accurate alinement of the heads without jamming or sticking is assured under all conditions of-service, and

as will .be apparent, I accomplish this by a simple construction which will hold coupled heads firmly locked against relative, angular movement and prevent'leaks without the aid of any auxiliary locking devices or guiding prongs.

Having thus described my whatl claim as new and desire to secure by United States Letters Patent is:

1. In an automatic train pipe connector, the combination of a support, and a cou- 'pling head carried by said support, said head being provided with diagonally spaced forwardly extending, outwardly diverging spiral shaped guiding prongs.

2. In an automatic train pipe connector, the combination of a support,and a coupling head carried by the support, said Y head being provided with forwardly extending guiding prongs, each of said prongs being spiral shaped and each being curved gradually to approximately the point 13 and thence abruptly to its forward extremity Y substantially as described.

3. In an automatic train pipe connector,

s'aidinventioml the combination ofa support, a coupling head carried bysaid support, said head being provided With a coupling face and having at its side a-portion extending rearwardly of the headand substantially at a right angle to said face and lying entirely in the vertical plane, said head-being rounded from the upper extremity of said portion to approximately the center of the head,

and a pair of diagonally spaced forwardly extending guiding prongs for said head, each prong having a bearing surface lying in the vertlcal plane and extending forwardly of the face of the head and substan tially'at a right angle thereto fora short distance to constitute a bearing surface for cooperating with'said portion at the side of said head in coupling, said prongs havinga variable curve in the horizontal plane and having also a convex guiding face which approaches vgradually toward the horizontal plane from both edges throughout substantially the full length of the prong.

4. In an automatic train pipe coupling,

the combination'of a base, a coupling head,

a support connected with the base and head and adapted to permit movement of the head in various directions, said head b in rectangular in outline and provided i diagonally spaced guiding prongs, each or which is provided with an outer and inner guiding edge and extends forwardly of said head at a right angle thereto for a short distance and thence flares outwardly, said inner guiding edges of the prongs being curved slightly in the vertical plane where they leave the face of'said coupling head and constituting the only portion of the prongs which is curved insaid planeat face of said head, the curve of such edges changing-as the edges approach. the forward extremity of the prong from an abinipt curve to a gradual curve encompassing substantially the whole. face of the prong.

5.In an automatic train pipe coupling,

the combination of a yieldable support, a

rectangular shaped coupling head carried. 1

by said support and provided with a coupling face and having at its sides portions lying in the vertical -and horizontal planes and extendingi'earwardly ofthe head and substantially at a right angle to said face,

..and diagonally spaced forwardly projecting outwardly extending guiding prongs for saidhead, each prong having an outer and inner guiding edge and being provided at its base with surfaces lying also in the ve;-

tical and horizontal planes and extended forwardly of said coupling face and approximately at a right angle thereto. to con stitute complementary surfaces for mating with said portions at the sides of the head of a mating coupling, said outer and inner guiding edges of the prongs being curved slightly in the vertical plane Where they leave the face of said head andconstituting the only portions of the prongs which'iare curved in said plane at the face of said head, the curve of said edges changing as the edges approach the forward extremity of theprong from an abrupt curve to a gradual curve encompassing substantially the whole face of thepro ng, whereby accurate vertical andlat'eral alinemen t of saidconiplementary surfaces of the prongs with said portions at the sides of the coupling head is assured under all conditions of service in advance of meeting of the'faces of mating heads.

- .6. In an automatic train pipe connector,

the combination with a base and a coiled .sp'ring connected to and projecting forward I from the'base; of .a' had carried at the 'forward end of the spring, saidhead'having a substantially'rectangular face, and wings projecting forward from diagonally 0pp0- site upper and lower edges of the head, the

' upper and lower ends of the face of the head being curved rearwardly, and the corners opposite the wings being rounded as viewed 5 a fromtlie' -front of the' coupling,. substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

V In testimony whereof, I have hereunto .set' my hand in 

